


Silver Strand

by Squarepeg72



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Romance, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-15 07:46:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12316815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squarepeg72/pseuds/Squarepeg72
Summary: Neville has know she was meant for him since they were students. can he wait for Hermione to come to him?





	Silver Strand

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [RollAPrompt2017](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/RollAPrompt2017) collection. 



_Scars on your body show that you have lived; scars on your heart show that you have loved_  
_\- Nina Dul_

_He realized she was meant for him when she froze him in his tracks._

Neville Longbottom had quietly loved Hermione Granger from the background since their first year at Hogwarts. The tiny silver strand that connected them had begun to glow as she finished the full body bind that kept him in the Common Room the first time she faced the Dark Lord with Harry and Ron. It had gotten thicker every year since then, and now, he could find her anywhere. But, she was still not his …

_She realized he was not her other half when he never turned back._

Hermione Granger had been with Ron Weasly since the end of the War. But something was not right. She never felt whole with him. They finally gave up on trying to make it work and had settled into being good friends. The day Ron walked out of their flat with his suitcase, Hermione noticed a tiny silver strand leaving her left hand. She seemed to be the only one that noticed it and it just seemed to float away from her no matter where she went. It seemed to grow thicker as time passed, but she could never find the end of it. But, she was a curious witch …

_He knew she was his peace when she came to him._

Neville had watched Hermione struggle through battles with dark forces and with her heart. He was jealous of Ron when she choose him after the Battle of Hogwarts and he felt bad as he rejoiced at the news that Ron and Hermione were no longer a couple. His Gran had told him that the silver strand of a soulmate bond would never disappear and a patient man would be rewarded if he waited until the right moment to tug on it. Hermione was now on her own and he was done waiting. All Neville had to do was figure out a way to connect with her. The Anniversary Ball was coming up soon. He could wait a few more weeks. She would never miss the Ball. Soon, he would tug on that strand …

_She knew he was different when he waited for her._

Hermione has decided that she was going to stay home this year. She really did not feel like going to the Anniversary Ball especially since Ron was going to be there with Pansy. She needed to start stepping back into the dating pool, but she was content with her life and her work. Hermione looked down at the silver strand that never seemed to leave her left wrist. It had gotten thicker over the last few weeks and it felt almost like it was being stroked from the other end. Hermione decided that she could go to the Ball and pretend like Ron was not there. She could make it through a few hours of uncomfortable glances. Soon she would follow that strand…

_He realized she was there when he felt the strand pull tight._

Neville had gotten used to the pull of the silver strand on his wrist. If Hermione was near, it would get tight and the urge to tug on it was almost too much. Being alone in his greenhouses on the grounds of the castle let him ignore the pull most of the time. But tonight he was not Neville Longbottom, Professor of Herbology, he was Neville Longbottom, War Hero. He had planned to watch the entrance to the Great Hall until she arrived. The silver strand on his wrist had grown so thick he was sure others could see it now. Neville could feel the strand grow tighter as she walked into the castle. He had to time the tug just right. Harry and Ron were far enough away from the door that Hermione would have to look for them when she walked in the room and Neville had placed himself between them and the door. The yellow rose he held in his hand trembled as he waited. So much depended on her reaction to the tug. Even a patient man had his limits…

_She realized he was the one when he handed her that rose._

Hermione had gotten up the courage to go to Anniversary Ball after a long conversation with Ginny. She could not let the hurts of the past keep holding her future happiness hostage. She had been researching the silver strand on her wrist and had discovered that it was a soulmate strand. Being alone with her books, let Hermione think about what it might mean to have a soulmate and what she would have to risk to find him. But, she was not going to worry about it now. Tonight, she was going to enjoy time with friends and remember fondly those who were not there. Hermione looked down at the strand that was so thick now that she swore others could see it. An older couple had asked her about the beautiful bracelet on her wrist the week before when she had been shopping in Diagon Alley. She lifted the hem of her dress robes and began to climb the stairs to the Great Hall. Everyone was waiting for her to arrive so the Lantern Ceremony could begin. As she walked through the doorway, Hermione felt a tug on her wrist. Looking down, she noticed the silver strand glow and pull tight. Turning in the direction of the pull of the strand, Hermione looked straight into Neville’s eyes. Hermione stood frozen in the doorway as Neville walked toward her with a single yellow rose in his hand. Taking the rose from his hand, Hermione felt a sense of peace flood her soul. This is what she had been looking for. The silver strand broke in the center and formed matching bracelets on their wrists. A circle of rose blooms and thorns that everyone could see. So much for hunting down the other end of the strand. Even a curious witch can be surprised…

_He never wanted to stop dancing with her._

Neville spent the rest of the Ball with Hermione. They danced and laughed, cried and talked. He knew she was smart, but he had never realized just how beautiful her intelligence made her. He never wanted the evening to end. Neville had never felt so complete or at peace. Now all he had to do was figure out how to keep her with him. He knew Hermione had her work with the MLE and was needed at the Ministry, but he had waited long enough. He wanted to be with her every minute of every day. But he also knew that she needed to work. That he needed to work. All that curiosity was never meant to be bottled and shelved. Stolen kisses on the dance floor had only increased his desire to find a way to make things work. Gran was right. The soulmate bond was only the beginning. Neville had work to do…

_She never wanted to stop holding his hand._

Hermione spent the rest of the Ball floating on a cloud. She and Neville had talked and danced all evening. As he tucked the rose into her hair behind her ear, it had turned into a beautiful citrine and diamond clip. Hermione had not realized how handsome Neville had become in the years since the War. A sense of peace seemed to flow from him and made him feel like home. Hermione had some decisions to make. She wanted to spend as much time as possible with Neville, but they both had commitments to the world beyond themselves. Could they figure out a way to be together and still honor their commitments? Stolen touches in the shadows were not enough. Hermione wanted a chance to have it all. Ginny was right. The hurts of the past only make you stronger. Hermione had plans to make…

_He knew he was never going to let her go._

Neville pulled Hermione into the sitting room of his flat. They had danced the night away and soon the sun would peak over the horizon. But Neville was not ready for the night to end. Waving his wand to close and lock the door, Neville pulled Hermione deeper into his embrace. Slowly, he lifted his hands to her face and bent to kiss her. Sipping at her lips, Neville murmured his heart’s deepest desires against them. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his kisses. Neville’s hands searched the back of her robes for the zipper as his lips trailed kisses down her neck. Hermione shivered as Neville nipped the sensitive skin at the base of her neck. This was not the way either of them had planned for their evening to end but everything just felt right. Hermione pushed Neville’s dress robes from his shoulders and ran her hands over the linen shirt that was stretched there. Neville had managed to lower her zipper and was kissing a path to her shoulder as he swept the fabric from it. Hermione felt her breath catch as his calloused fingers fluttered over her skin. She need to touch as much as she needed to feel. Hermione tugged at his shirt until she had pulled it from the waistband of his trousers and over his head. Fingers skimming over his hot skin. Hermione felt herself drowning in his feel and scent. The air of Neville’s flat was filled with murmurs of love and desire. Neville lifted Hermione out of her dress and into his arms. Hermione continued to pepper his skin with kisses as he walked them back to his bedroom. A journey of a thousand years begins with a single step…

_She knew she was never going to leave him._

Hermione sighed as Neville lowered her to his bed. Her fingers skimmed down his chest and searched for the button of his trousers. Neville lips were distracting her as they made a path from her shoulder to her breast. Neville sucked a pebbled nipple into his hot mouth as Hermione slipped down the zipper of his unbuttoned trousers. Gasping, Hermione clutched his head to her breast and surrendered to the pleasure that had erupted in her stomach. Neville continued his journey of kisses down Hermione’s body. Curling his fingers around the waistband of her knickers, Neville removed the only barrier left between him and her. Slowly, Neville smiled as he kissed a path from her bellybutton down to her clit. Sucking softly, Neville teased the tiny bundle of nerves with his tongue as he slipped two fingers between her wet folds. Hermione’s fingers clutched the sheets on his bed as Neville’s attention pushed her over the edge. He slipped out of his trousers and joined her on the bed. Settling between her thighs, Neville teased her lips with biting kisses. Hermione ran her nails down his back as he slipped deeper into her heat. She could feel the string connecting them draw tighter as they moved together. The air was filled with declarations of passion and love. With a final thrust, Neville let go of his control. Hermione joined him in the fall over the edge. This all consuming need to be his and for him to be hers, that was what having a soulmate ment. Neville settled into the bed and pulled her into his arm. Surrounded by his arms and his love, Hermione began to drift off to sleep. As the sun rose over the horizon, she gave her heart to Neville’s keeping. A story of a thousand words begins with a single kiss...


End file.
